Virginia Tech opened the James Franklin era with a thunderous statement, dismantling the VMI Keydets 73-3 at Lane Stadium on Saturday. The Hokies gave their fans plenty of reason to dream big. However, amid the celebration, one moment became a point of discussion after the game, as the referee threw a flag over a celebration by a Virginia Tech player. James Franklin couldn’t make sense of the decision.

“We got a penalty for high-fiving one of our members of the core,” Franklin said while having a conversation with the media after the game. “Not a huge fan. I don’t know why we can’t high-five somebody in the military. It seems somewhat un-American to me.”

Virginia Tech running back Marcellous Hawkins Jr. found himself flagged for an unusual celebration after his third touchdown of the game. After finding the end zone, Hawkins exchanged high-fives with several Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, a gesture that drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty from the referees.

This was certainly a different situation and hardly seemed worthy of a flag, but the referee believed otherwise. The crew deemed Hawkins’ excessive celebration a infraction under college football’s celebration rules.

The NCAA regulations penalize any celebration in which a player tries to focus attention on themselves rather than celebrating with teammates on the field. That can include running to the stands or even attempting to engage with the fans after a play. The referees clearly deemed the cadets ‘fans’ in this instance, which is the correct call under the rules.

Franklin’s surprise at the decision can also be seen in the context of the identity of the Hokies. Virginia Tech began as an all-male military school. Even today, the federal law considers it a senior military college.

Despite the unusual penalty against him, Hawkins carried the ball 12 times for 69 yards and scored three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Jeffrey Overton Jr. emerged as the team’s leading rusher, surpassing the 100-yard mark while adding two touchdowns of his own.

It was certainly an encouraging offensive performance by the Hokies, and they can now look to carry that momentum into future games. Last season, Virginia Tech endured a disappointing 3-9 campaign.

In the aftermath, the Hokies turned to James Franklin last November in hopes of changing the program’s fortunes and restoring the glory associated with the Frank Beamer era. So far, Franklin has certainly started with a bang.

Despite the team’s dominant 73-3 victory, the head coach was not convinced they had done enough, sending a clear message to his players afterward.

James Franklin finds flaws in Virginia Tech’s gig win

While the entire team played exceptionally well, penalties were one area that dragged the Hokies down. Virginia Tech was flagged 11 times for 93 yards. Although those mistakes did not matter much in this game, they could prove costly in the future against tougher competition.

VMI’s lone first down of the opening quarter came courtesy of two Virginia Tech offside penalties, handing the Keydets 10 yards and an unnecessary lifeline.

“We’ve got to get those things cleaned up,” said Franklin. “When I kind of look back, those are the things I’m disappointed with in the penalties, specifically the pre-snap penalties and the post-whistle penalties. We’ve got to get those things cleaned up because that was really the only time we struggled was when we hurt ourselves.”

Even against an overmatched opponent like VMI, pre-snap mistakes cannot become routine. Offside penalties, in particular, are entirely avoidable and risk fostering bad habits. Combined with other costly pre-snap errors, those lapses could prove far more damaging against stronger competition.

Well, the team is certainly looking to perform better in the coming days, but will they be able to maintain their form in the future?